NO. 1 RABBIT PROOF FENCE, section, wood post and fencing wire

Wood post with drilled holes along length. Three (3) wires of 12 1/2 guage attached to post at intervals. Wire netting attached to post. Two (2) sections of barbed wire and one (1) plain wire attached to post above fencing wire.

Types of wood that were used to construct the fence were salmon gum, gimlet tree, white gum, mulga, wodjil, pine, and tea tree. It is not yet determined what type of wood this post is made of.

Adapted from Katie Benfield:
Chest height, single jarrah (?) bush timber post, mesh and barbed wire section of the Number One Rabbit Proof Fence.

Post:
1250mmx 130mm. Peaked angular cut top to reduce water rot. Knotted weathered grey jarrah (?) bush timber, with yellow/cream lichens at random intervals over the surface, small lengths of original bark on left hand side of post. Termite and rot damage are visible where the post has been in the ground (190mm up the post). Five drilled holes penetrate the post for wire to be threaded through. Surmounted by a thick heavy rusted metal strip tie to reduce weathering on the post.

Wire:
1130mmx850mm, a combination of added wire pieces are joined to create the fence section. Discoloured, weathered and oxidised grey metal and rusted overlapping sections of hexagonal shaped wire mesh are surmounted by two separate horizontal strands of rusty barbed wire supported with two oxidised heavy twisted wire anchors back to the wire mesh. Five guide lines of ordinary galvanized fencing wire run through the post and act as guides for both the mesh and barbed wire to be attached.

Physical Condition
Post: lichen activity randomly dots the post along with rot and insect damage at the base. Long strips of original bark on left hand side are beginning to lift and peel off (delaminating).

Wire: the wire is mis-shapen and discloured with rust spots present. The bottom section that has been buried in the ground is stained a deep brown colour.

Department: 

Collection

History Collection

Collection Item Data